Sarah Brooks: podcast appearances and interviews

Sarah Brooks was an English-born botanical collector and the founder and chief executive officer of The Sparkle Foundation. Born on September 19, 1850, aboard the ship Harpley in Plymouth, England, she migrated to Australia with her family in January 1851. Her family settled in the Geelong area of Victoria, where they lived until 1873. After her brother John moved to Western Australia in pursuit of landownership, Sarah and her mother joined him in 1874. The family resided in remote locations, grazing sheep on stations near Thomas River, Point Malcolm, and later at Israelite Bay near Esperance. Throughout her life, Sarah Brooks was known for her dedication to botanical collection, gathering numerous specimens in Western Australia. Her work in botany is part of her legacy, and she is recognized as a significant figure in fostering botanical knowledge within the region. Later in her life, she became the CEO and founder of The Sparkle Foundation, an organization committed to supporting educational and developmental initiatives. Brooks’s career reflects a unique combination of botanical enthusiasm and leadership in nonprofit work, built on her early experiences in Australia and her lifelong interest in the natural sciences.